Chef Ricco’s Macaroni Pie Deluxe
Fridays During Lent Never Tasted So Good!

This recipe is a Lenten favorite; as a boy I have such fond memories of all the different creative dishes we ate at our own house not to mention the houses of friends and family! Lent is such a special time of year and as we prepare for Easter here is one of the greatest of all-time peasant food recipes, Pope & Bishop approved with my extra-caloric spin! I hope you enjoy it as much my family and I do!

INGREDIENTS:
• 1 Pound of D’Talini Pasta cooked aldente
• 2 Pounds of Polly-o or BelGioioso Ricotta Cheese
• 2 Fresh Eggs
• ½ Pound of freshly grated aged Pecorino Romano Cheese
• 1 Pound of bocconcini Mozzarella Balls

Mix thoroughly in a bowl, the ricotta, eggs, grated cheese (leave some for the top of the pie at the end), add a ½ Tbsp of Kosher Salt, ½ Tbsp Ground Black Pepper and 1 Tbsp of dried parsley, ½ Tsp of Nutmeg.

Feel free to cook the pasta in advance, next step is to take the pasta and mix with the ricotta mixture. Once it is all mixed up put in your baking dish.

Next take your bocconcini balls and push them into the pie, place one ball every few inches all around the pie. Lastly give the top of the pie a good dusting of the remaining Pecorino Romano Cheese. Place in a 350-degree oven until it is ooey-gooey and toasty on top. Let the pie cool thoroughly. Once it’s set, slice it into individual pieces and serve with a garnish of fresh parsley. Enjoy all throughout Lent or anytime you want some amazing stick to your ribs home cooked comfort food!

Spicy & Savory Chipotle Rubbed Pork Loin

INGREDIENTS:
• Pork loin (3.5 pounds, bone out, fat cap on)
• Dry ingredients – kosher salt, ground chipotle pepper, granulated garlic, granulated onion, ground black pepper, ground cumin & 1 packet Goya Sazon
• One or two large Spanish onions

TO PREPARE THE RUB COMBINE:
2 Tbsp kosher salt 1 Tbsp granulated garlic
1 Tbsp granulated onion 1 Tbsp ground chipotle
1 Tbsp dried parsley flakes ¼ Tsp ground cumin
1 packet of Goya Sazon 1 Tsp black pepper

Mix all the ingredients well, it’s best to put the spices in a container with a snap top lid and shake vigorously. Be careful and mix in a well-ventilated area as the chipotle can irritate your nose and eyes. This recipe will make more rub than you need for your pork loin, simply put the leftover mixture in a Ziploc or snap top container and save for use on any of your favorite meats from chicken to fish or veggies, it even makes a great crust on a prime rib roast or a roast beef!

TO PREPARE THE PORK:
With the fat side up, take a butcher’s knife and score the fat cap. Make long diagonal slices across the loin. Next make the same scores in the opposite direction essentially making a crisscross pattern. Only cut down into the first layers of the actual meat. Next take your rub and liberally spread it onto the pork. Make sure to get the rub in between the score marks and when you have covered the top and sides thoroughly, flip the loin over and rub the bottom side really well too. Once the loin is completely coated, wrap tightly in aluminum foil and let chill in the refrigerator for at least 2-3 hours.

COOKING:
Preheat your oven to 380 degrees. Take your loin of pork out of the refrigerator and leave wrapped in foil. Next slice a Spanish onion into thin rounds, toss in olive oil and add a little of the let over rub. Place the spiced onions on the bottom of a roasting pan and place the wrapped pork loin on top. Add 2 cups of water to the pan and place in the oven for 45-50 minutes. Pull the loin
from the oven and open the foil paper. Open roast the pork loin for another 35-40 minutes. Make sure your internal temperature is above 145 degrees when you remove the pork loin. Let the pork loin rest for ten minutes before moving it to a sturdy cutting board. Take a sharp carving knife and cut into quarter inch thick slices. Transfer your roasted onions from the bottom of the pan and place on a platter, place the sliced pork on the platter and serve.

Recommended side dishes for this great pork loin recipe include: arugula and goat cheese salad with baby cucumbers and hot vinegar peppers, tossed in a simple lemon pepper vinaigrette, or roasted potatoes prepared tossed in olive oil, salt pepper thyme, rosemary and paprika.

Quick Linguini & Clam Sauce

This is one of my favorite recipes! This recipe is enough to serve with one pound of pasta.

TO PREPARE THE PASTA, simply bring a large pot of water well salted up to a rolling boil. Cook the pasta al dente and drain. FYI…Cook the pasta and drain it right before it is to be tossed with the clam sauce and served.

INGREDIENTS:
• Three 6.5oz cans of whole or chopped clams in juice
• One Tbsp of salted butter
• Whole fresh garlic 7-9 pcs, sliced thinly or finely chopped
• One cup of Carlo Rossi Chablis white wine
• Three oz extra virgin olive oil
• Fresh parsley, chopped (1/3 of a bunch)
• Fresh squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons worth)
• The zest of 1 lemon
• Grated Pecorino Romano cheese
• Two cups clam juice
• One pound of your favorite fresh or dry linguini

TO PREPARE THE CLAM SAUCE you will need to start in a large sauce pan or large deep-frying pan. Keep in mind that the pan should be large enough to toss the entire of pound of pasta in. If you do not have a large sauce/frying pan like that use a good sauce pot.

Step 1: Open your cans of clams and strain the meat from the juice. DO NOT DISCARD THE JUICE.
Step 2: In your pan bring the olive oil up to temperature and add the sliced garlic, add 1 Tsp of kosher salt, 1 Tsp of ground black pepper and half of the fresh parsley.
Step 3: Once the garlic begins to toast, add your separated chopped or whole clams and sauté for 2 minutes.
Step 4: Add the butter and move around the pan until it melts completely, cook for another 2 minutes.
Step 5: Add your lemon juice and sauté another minute.
Step 6: Add your white wine and cook on high for another 2-3 minutes. At this point the alcohol should be cooking off.
Step 7: Add the separated clam juice and the additional 2 cups of clam sauce. Also add the lemon zest and bring up to a boil. Let the sauce cook on high for another 6-7 minutes. The flavors will really come together at this point. Add the rest of your fresh parsley and let the sauce simmer on low heat as you finish preparing your pasta.
Step 8: Finish cooking and draining your linguini add directly to the clam sauce and mix thoroughly.
FINAL STEP
Serve your linguini in a pasta bowl add some crushed red pepper and fresh parsley to garnish, dust the pasta with some aged grated Pecorino Romano cheese and enjoy!